It was a big night for so many of the talented actors and actresses who were in attendance at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards. One, in particular, was Mr. Michael Keaton, whose award for his work in the limited series Dopesick came with a heartfelt dedication to a very special person in his life, his nephew Michael who died from a fentanyl overdose. 

Dopesick tells the very real story of PurduePharma and its part in the crippling opioid crisis we now face due to corporate greed and misinformation. Keaton, who won for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series, used his time on stage to discuss the many ills our world is facing at the moment. 

"There's an argument to be made - it's a legitimate argument, look how nice everyone looks - that a night like tonight is self-serving, narcissistic. It's a legitimate argument to be made. That said, I will tell you, I am so fortunate. We could spend a week here talking about how fortunate I am, and I know you would all love that. Everyone wants to hear Mike ramble on for a couple of hours. I'm so blessed to do what I do, and so fortunate. I have a job where I can be part of a production, like 'Dopesick,' that actually can spawn thought, conversation, actual change. Who gets to have that job? How fortunate am I that good can come from something I do just because I wanted to become an actor?"

He continued,

"There's massive inequity in the world. In 'Dopesick,' when you talk about addiction, the way to heal the problem is to accept that you have a problem. Not our country - the entire world. Economically, racially, socially, financially. There's massive inequity in the world. There just is. There's fair, and there's unfair. There's not a lot of room in between.

I can feel right now the rolling thunder of eye-rolling across people saying things to me like, 'Shut up and dribble. Shut up and act.' The acting, I'll quit. The shutting up, not so much. I am blessed to be able to do something that might improve someone's life. Given the subject matter, this is for my nephew, Michael, and my sister, Pam. I lost my nephew Michael to drugs, and it hurts. To my sister Pam, thanks."

It is always refreshing when an actor or actress can spread a positive message, make people aware of an injustice, all by doing what they do best. Passion projects don't always come with such importance and Michael Keaton certainly gave us a better understanding of just how hard it is to lose those close to us through such devastating and avoidable means if only we took the time to educate ourselves and others. His dedication will definitely start a bigger discussion in the future.

Tags: Dopesick Michael Keaton 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards